November 22, 2013: The fight everyone's been waiting for

[Aegis J Hyena]

My guess is that Thaco doesn't -completely- have some form of demonic regeneration (at least, on Grinnorarcen's level). Maybe fast healing as opposed to a troll's regeneration (which I figure would have fixed his arm; I assume there's a difference) In either case, now there's no statues to tip over onto Minmax, so Complains better play it smart and lure him into the maze where the Dragon's Maw can weaken them, else Forgath's going to spam-poke with the hammace's holy symbol and Kore will pincushion the lot of them...

[CheeseToastofDeath]

Well, it seem that the various theories circulating about Oblivious ceasing to exist outside of the Maze of Many are disproven. Unless it gets destroyed next time he drops it, which I guess could happen.

[Maur]

Delayed comic.
Still unfinished.
With no shading.

Meanwhile Tarol:
constantly updates Twitter.
Complains about spending time trying to talk to social justice ilk.
Writes a blogpost about social justice.
draws a comic about what it is like to be a woman.

Then complains there is no time to draw his comic.

Agreed. Someone needs to whip the bastard in shape. Literally. Preferably in jackboots and latex. Mmmmm....

[SGTdude]

What happened to Names' sword? it looks different (Lost the flip-out crosspiece) and isn't glowing.

His sword flips out when he is raging as a Barbarian does. I don't believe this effect is limited to the specific ability of Barbarians, but somehow his doing so unlocks that part of the sword. I think its basically a combat/desire based function so the sword basically senses when its time to get killtacular.

It can be seen here, here, and here (in that last one he is definitely aggressive and then stops to take care of chief). Finally, here he grabs the sword in aggression but it doesn't open until he is fully into "urge to kill...rising", and this is right before FM-K appears when he is focused on running away instead of killing.

Has no one but me NOTICED THE BLANKETY-BLANK EYE YET?!?!!!!

► Show Spoiler

http://www.goblinscomic.org/01182011-2/

Tell me it is coincidence. I dare you.

Its a coincedence.

I mean come on. Seriously. You have two dwarves. They both have on helmets. Forgath's helmet happens to turn so you can see his eye. Plus, its a totally different eye from Kore's in my opinion. I will put up an image of the two side by side now. Back in a jiff

[Talks Crazy]

Forgath's beard is invincible but the rest of him isn't so someone can still grab him by it and smash him all over the place.

[SGTdude]

Agreed. Someone needs to whip the bastard in shape. Literally. Preferably in jackboots and latex. Mmmmm....

Come on guys, seriously? A guy who makes his first post about how lame the comic and its author are is clearly a troll. Why do you make it so easy for them? Just ignore it.


On to relevant matters:
IMHO the eyes are not the same

[ForgetsOldName]

Actually that's not the right image. I was aiming for the double-eye one.

But nonetheless, you're not seeing the most important point. To paraphrase Mrs. Rabbit, It was drawn that way.

It is not a coincidence. It was made. The best you can go for is not meaningful. But there is zero chance of it being an accident.

[Gryphonic]

know its a battle, but its surprising that Thaco and Forgath (Or BE/Forgath) have nothing to say to each other. Also, no ominous Kore dot in the background, but we know hes there, dwarf rogue.

I think being ambushed out of literally thin air sent them straight into fight-or-flight mode. There might be a "What the hell, guys?!" after the first exchange of blows.

@ Forgets: Yes, I posted that earlier.
@SGTdude: That's the left eye on both of them. Look at the first panel of it being twisted. If you meant pupil size, that varies on character depending on emotion, and not just the goblins' willowing.

ETA: ah, then yes, I don't take this as proof they're the same person.

[SGTdude]

Well we know that Kore moves slowly. So that would explain why he isn't on the bridge yet.

As far as "coincedence?", no it is not a coincedence and clearly planned as a reference to Kore. However just because something looks like Kore doesn't mean it is Kore, which makes it mere coincedence. That is what I meant.

[Kamos]

Kore moves slow and this is all of a few seconds after after he's healed himself. Minmax and Forgath technically teleported in on a simultaneous page.
Makes sense he's not in the picture yet. Probably a couple of rounds before that happens.

Personally I'm in awe that somehow completely unarmored Names managed to stop an attack from a level 4 full BAB 22 STR warrior using a weapon that likely has an enhancement bonus.

[Gryphonic]

Complains is level 4 himself right now (http://www.goblinscomic.org/10222009/), and he got knocked several yards away. If Minmax had made an overhand swing instead I think it would have overpowered Complains' parry.

[fumblesfan]

So what level is everybody? Can someone who knows DnD try to run this by the numbers? What's Thac0's HP after a "cure light wounds" from -9? It makes sense that MM and Forgath are at full HP. . . GAP is all lvl 4 right? Forgath is level 3 and MM is lvl 2 warrior lvl 2 barbarian? Names is likely non-hurt, or only mildly, same with Ears. . . Thac0's gotta be near dead.

Gear seems to go clearly to MM Forgath.

My Man Vorpal and his 6 lvls worth of quest and RP experience is the wild card here

[SGTdude]

Forget the fight, kore's death, forgath's death, kin and minmax getting married, and the goblins uniting all creature kind into an everlasting era of peace. This...

My Man Vorpal and his 6 lvls worth of quest and RP experience is the wild card here

is what I am waiting to see happen.

[Kamos]

Names has very little damage. Unarmored. Good-Great offense
Ears is injured. AC is likely reduced but good. Good offense.
Thac0 healed 5-12 from -9. I can't remember if you start healing spells from 0 or if that was house rule or not. Good AC. Good offense.
Senior Vorpal is undamaged. Unarmored. Untested offense.

Minmax undamaged unless he took damage from the wall earlier. Great AC. Great offense.
Forgath is undamaged. Good AC. All spells. Good offense.

Plot saving grace is a heavily armored Dwarfs pace away. Battle reports for this season look to favor core races.

Complains is level 4 himself right now (http://www.goblinscomic.org/10222009/), and he got knocked several yards away. If Minmax had made an overhand swing instead I think it would have overpowered Complains' parry.

That would only help his offensive capabilities though. Don't get me wrong I'm more than happy to ignore the rules for the story but it just seems near impossible that Minmax could miss. He has a base of +11 before weapon enhancement. Complains is at 11+Dex unless he has natural armor now or something.

[Gryphonic]

I would estimate their relative health pools at Thaco < Big Ears < Fumbles/Complains (aside from the arm). Thaco nearly died, the cleave to Ears' chest had enough power behind it to shatter his armor, and Fumbles got thrown off a cliff to land on a stone projection. That's probably worth a point or two from cracked ribs, but not much. I don't know what the numbers would be though.
ETA: Meant to point out that Complains had three quarrels in his back. I see two knocked loose, but landing on his back would have driven the third farther into his chest. I forgot those; he's more wounded than Fumbles if his part-demon nature didn't mitigate that.

[Glemp]

Actually that's not the right image. I was aiming for the double-eye one.

But nonetheless, you're not seeing the most important point. To paraphrase Mrs. Rabbit, It was drawn that way.

It is not a coincidence. It was made. The best you can go for is not meaningful. But there is zero chance of it being an accident.

Have you heard of the humble herring?

As I recall, Forgath's old Holy symbol is still in the Maze, definitely un-splishked and yet totally forgotten.

[Kamos]

You need that lame symbol when your new one doubles as a cattle prod?

[ThroughTheWell]

Yeah, I think the helmet twist highlighing the single eye IS foreshadowing.

I'll throw a theory out there. Forgath will become Kore ala The Santa Clause. Now, for that to happen I think he'll have to use Minmax's racial axe. Or maybe Kore absorbs dwarves after killing them. Kore is definately freaky though.

[Gryphonic]

As I recall, Forgath's old Holy symbol is still in the Maze, definitely un-splishked and yet totally forgotten.

http://www.goblinscomic.org/01152013/ On mace
http://www.goblinscomic.org/04182013/ Mace splishked

[RocketScientist]

he didn't say it. those are thought bubbles. which I don't think thunt has ever used. if he did not more than once or twice.

Thunt said it by having a character think it. Spelling out a character's thoughts like that when you could use behaviour or facial expressions is unsubtle, and, I feel, not good writing. Look at this zombie page, for example - no words, but the readers understand what they're thinking fine.

Personally I would much rather hear an internal monologue than have to decrypt facial expressions, as I often just find them puzzling. Words can be misinterpreted, but at least they have meanings attached, while facial expressions may just be random twitches.

+1

@new person whose screen name I forgot: I'm sorry that you're upset with the pacing of the comic. But please don't troll. We don't have Thunt Puppet Strings here. We can't help you with your complaint. You could address it to Thunt directly via the Twitter or the e-mail contact page if it would make you feel better.

[Glemp]

As I recall, Forgath's old Holy symbol is still in the Maze, definitely un-splishked and yet totally forgotten.

http://www.goblinscomic.org/01152013/ On mace
http://www.goblinscomic.org/04182013/ Mace splishked

Let me put this another way.

you can always just duct-tape the holy symbol from the bottom of the mace to something a tad bit more ├╝ber from the treasure room.

Forgath's lost his holy symbol, will it still work if he picks up the handle?

If Psimax grabbed her leash...She would have been forced to tell Psimax about...the surviving holy symbol on Forgath's mace handle

Forgaths mace handle with his holy symbol is right below his feet, perhaps he can get to it somehow and stabilize Kin.

It's all up to Forgath with an out-of-reach holy symbol...

Clearly, that Holy Symbol was drawn surviving for a reason, and is going to come back any minute now.

[ForgetsOldName]

Actually that's not the right image. I was aiming for the double-eye one.

But nonetheless, you're not seeing the most important point. To paraphrase Mrs. Rabbit, It was drawn that way.

It is not a coincidence. It was made. The best you can go for is not meaningful. But there is zero chance of it being an accident.

Have you heard of the humble herring?

Why yes, I have. They are never accidents.

[Tarnagh]

If the MoM is its own pocket dimension, would oracles be able to accurately predict the future on someone who had been in one?
I'm just wondering if (maybe) Forgath's death to Kore isn't the pretty much sure thing we consider it to be. Would the oracle have been able to predict the invici-beard, for instance? Maybe it's a case where *if* the MoM run hadn't happened, *if* Forgath still had his old weapon, *if* his beard wasn't invincible... I know that's a lot of *if*s but... I really don't want to see Forgath die if there's a possible way out of it.

[Croabadrake]

As I recall, Forgath's old Holy symbol is still in the Maze, definitely un-splishked and yet totally forgotten.

http://www.goblinscomic.org/01152013/ On mace
http://www.goblinscomic.org/04182013/ Mace splishked

Let me put this another way.

you can always just duct-tape the holy symbol from the bottom of the mace to something a tad bit more ├╝ber from the treasure room.

Forgath's lost his holy symbol, will it still work if he picks up the handle?

If Psimax grabbed her leash...She would have been forced to tell Psimax about...the surviving holy symbol on Forgath's mace handle

Forgaths mace handle with his holy symbol is right below his feet, perhaps he can get to it somehow and stabilize Kin.

It's all up to Forgath with an out-of-reach holy symbol...

Clearly, that Holy Symbol was drawn surviving for a reason, and is going to come back any minute now.

Weeee-eeelll...... Ruby doesn't know about Forgath's Hammace Holy Symbol...
...Ruby would probably stop Kin from going after Minmax just for Minmax...
...she could... use the Holy Symbol as her excuse for going after them, to return it to Forgath?

That's mostly the hopeful bit in me talking though

[MisterWolfe]

I wonder if Senor Vorpal Kickasso is going to defeat Minmax's purple worm familiar again